“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:1–6
If you think that we lived in a troubled time, consider the troubling circumstances Jesus’ disciples were facing just before He was taken from them. Jesus predicted that He would be betrayed by one of them (John 13:21–30) and that He would be taken away and that they would be unable to follow (vv 31–35). He told Peter that he would deny Him three times before morning (vv 36–38), and He predicted that all of the disciples would forsake Him (Matthew 26:31–35). To say that the disciples were troubled by their Master’s words would be an understatement indeed, yet Jesus says, “Let not your heart be troubled.”
In troubled times, we must keep the faith. Jesus’ statement in John 14:1 could be translated, “Keep believing in God, and keep believing in me.” Although this was a troubling day, the worst was yet to come. They would be hated, abused, and killed (15:18–21; 16:1–4). In the darkest days ahead, it would be imperative that they never surrender their faith in God and His Christ. The same goes for us today.
In troubled times, it is good to know that we are never really alone. Although Jesus told the disciples that He would be taken from them, He promises that the Father would send the Holy Spirit to guide them (14:16–17). He would remind them of Jesus’ words (14:26), testify alongside them (15:26–27), and lead them into “all truth” (16:6–14). Although Jesus would no longer be with them in body, they would not be left as orphans in the world (14:18). In a very real sense, He would be with them in all their toils (Matthew 28:20) and affliction (2 Timothy 4:16–18). Jesus knew that He would not be alone even on the cross (John 16:32); neither are we ever truly alone in this evil world.
In troubled times, it is good to know that Christ is coming back for us. Jesus made this promise to His disciples on that sorrowful night (John 14:3). Although there are some who mock this idea (2 Peter 3:3–4), Peter––who heard the words firsthand––assures us that Jesus’ return is certain (v 10). When He returns, He will gather all of His saints and them with Him (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18). Furthermore, He assures us that there is room for everyone in His Father’s house (John 14:2), which is good incentive for us to invite others.
In troubled times, it is good to know that this world is not our home. The troubles and sorrows of this world seem designed to make us long for heaven (2 Corinthians 5:1–4). Like the patriarchs (Hebrews 11:9–10), we are only travelers, moving toward a better home than any that this world can offer us (v 16). The country that we seek is free from tears and pain (Revelation 21:3), and there all darkness is dispelled by the radiance of God’s face (22:5). But the only way to this eternal home is by following Jesus (John 14:4–6).
If your life is filled with despair today, think of what must have been going through the minds of the eleven men in this room with Jesus. No matter what you might be dealing with in this world, take comfort in the words of the Savior: “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”